Finding Your Social Network

One of the daunting experiences of moving to a new place is finding your peeps. Stamford has many ways to find fellow travelers who can get you involved in the community. Nonprofits,religious fellowships,gymsare waiting with open arms to bring you into the fold. All you have to do is find whatever makes you happy.

Help Wanted

Looking for a place to give back? In Stamford, we have no shortage of worthy global-to-local causes—from health clinics, the arts, addiction treatment and nature preserves to child development, literacy, homelessness and domestic violence awareness. Plus, we all know volunteering is a great way to meet new, like-minded friends, and with each organization’s busy fundraising efforts, beef up the social calendar. Lend a hand!

Americares delivers medical aid and clinical support to people in need in the United States and 163 other countries. Benefit: Airlift Benefit, October

buildOnseeks to break the cycle of poverty and low expectations of urban youth through service learning programs and by building schools in some of the world’s poorest countries. Benefit: Dinner Gala, November

Childcare Learning Centers offers early childhood education and support services for children six weeks to five years old. Benefit:April

Curtain Call is Stamford’s longest-running and only year-round, nonprofit producing theater company. It welcomes all helping hands either on stage or behind it. Benefit: Dancing with the Stars, May 20

Paint the Town Pink is a monthlong campaign managed by the Stamford Hospital Foundation to mark Breast Cancer Awareness month. It holds fundraisers that support the work of the hospital’s Bennett Cancer Center. Benefit:October

SoundWatersseeks to protect Long Island Sound through education and action. Benefit: Tall Ships Ball, May 5

Stamford Hospital is, well, do we need to spell this out? Benefit: Hope in Motion, June 4; Dream Ball, November

Stamford Family YMCAprovides youth development and adult healthy-living programs and advocates for social responsibility. Benefit:March

Pray Tell

Stamford is home to a large and varied religious community. There are synagogues from Chabad to Reform; Evangelical, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox churches; and a mosque, always welcoming new members. Some of these are designated historical landmarks, too. But whether you are interested in seeking spiritual connections or not, it’s worth taking a drive to take in the architectural landscape of these houses of worship. Mark these on your GPS.

Some of the old churches in North Stamford date back up to 300 years. To soak up New England religious history, check out the North Stamford Congregational Church; its current structure dates to 1782.

The Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church sits in a brick building at the end of Grove Street. See the large Star of David window in the front? That’s because the building started life as the home of Agudath Sholom, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue that is now located on Strawberry
Hill Avenue.

The First Presbyterian Church is affectionately known as the “Fish Church” because it is, indeed, shaped to look like one. Inside, there are outstanding stained glass windows, containing more than 20,000 pieces of faceted glass.

St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist were designed to look like European cathedrals.

The front of The Chabad of Stamford was created to look like an open book.

St. Mary’s Holy Assumption Church has the traditional onion dome of Russian Orthodox churches.

Feel Great

Speak to any fitness fan and they will tell you they draw motivation not only from their trainers, but from the other people taking a class with them. It’s hard to pin down that intangible but, speaking from experience, we say that sharing common fitness goals—lose weight, get stronger, improve health—also results in new friendships. To that end, here’s a short list of boutique centers that are family-friendly, welcoming to all ages and experience levels, as well as great places to shmooze and break a sweat.

A Core Fusion Barre class at Exhale Spa

1. Carozza Fitness is home to CrossFit Sound Beach, plus also offers group and private training, including a program called “Operation Muffin Top.”

2. Chelsea Piers Connecticut is a large sports and recreation facility in Cove with an on-site athletic club that offers just about every fitness modality.